Bulldogs put nine on Hockomock team

While Canton High didn’t have any of its teams make the state tournament this spring, there was plenty of superlative performances by Bulldog athletes.

Tom Wilcox/Staff Writer

While Canton High didn’t have any of its teams make the state tournament this spring, there was plenty of superlative performances by Bulldog athletes.

Most notably was the season that Sam Bastien put together for the boys outdoor track team. The senior sprinter turned in the best performance of his career on the biggest stage. Bastien ran a personal best time of 49.40 seconds to place fourth overall in the 400 meters and qualify for the New England Championships.

He led the boys in points scored during the regular season and qualified for states in five different events – 100, 200, 400, 4x400 and the triple jump. Bastien won the Hockomock League championship in the 400 on May 19th at Canton High. He also won the state championship in the 400 by nearly a full second as he finished with a time of 50.45.

Bastien had qualified for New Englands the past two seasons in the 300 during the indoor track season but this was the first time he has advanced this far during the spring.

The senior standout plans to take his talents to UMass-Lowell in the fall, run indoor and outdoor track and major in clinical lab sciences.

The track team’s other two Hockomock League All-Stars were senior Gentry Jones and junior Sean Burrows. Jones was second on the team in points scored, qualifying for states in seven different events – the 100, 200, 400, triple jump, long jump, 4x100 and 4x400 relays – but was unable to compete because of an injury. Jones has the best time in the league in the dash at 10.8 seconds during the regular season. He will attend Merrimack in the fall. Burrows was the top scoring underclassmen for the Bulldogs and third overall on the team. He made states in the javelin and placed fourth in the event at the Hockomock League championships.

For the girls, junior Alyse Rocco continued to shine in the long distance events. Rocco made the outdoor track team for the second straight year and was fifth on the team in points scored. She made states in the 800, mile and 2-mile and was fifth in the mile at the league championships.

Beth Muller took the Hockomock championship in the dash to automatically make the league all-star team. The senior co-captain made states in the 100, 200 and as part of the 4x100 relay team. She was fourth on the team in points scored this season.

Known for his exploits on the wrestling mat, Mike White also excelled on the diamond this spring. The senior captain patrolled centerfield and was superb defensively. He also led the team in hitting with a stellar .403 batting average.

Senior co-captain Julie Murray anchored the softball team behind the plate. Murray was a four-year starter that played in every game during her career. She had an impressive .392 batting average and will attend Wheaton in the fall.

Michael Hagerty was a co-captain and midfielder for the boys lacrosse team. He had 26 goals and 11 assists this season and while attend Franklin Pierce next year.

The girls lacrosse team may have fell short of its goal of making the state tournament but it wasn’t because a loack of effort from senior captain Robyn Panciocco. The three-year starter stabilized Canton’s defense and plans to go to Stonybrook College in the fall.